The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1887-12-31

The Strange Blank in His History at
Last Filled Up.

The blank in the history of the
famous Sam Houston has at last
been filled up. It will be remem-
bered that, after living for some
time among the Cherokee Indians
and fighting in the war Of 1912, he
settled in Tennessee, began to prac-
tice law, was twice elected to con-
gress, and in 1927 was elected gov
ernor of Tennessee, and in January.
1920. he was married to the belle
Of Tennessee, and in less than six
months after his marriage he sud-
denly resigned the governorship,
deserted his wife and home and
disappeared. This created an in
tense sensation throughout the
country, as Houston was regarded
as the most promising man in the
South. The cause of Houston's
resignation of the governorship, his
desertion of his bride and his aban-
donment of the path of civilization
has always been a mystery. He
never revealed it himself to his
friends.
CLEARING UP THE MYSTERY.
A staff correspondent Of the St.
Louis Republican, sent to Talequah,
Indian Territory, to write up the
Indian troubles, obtained from un-
doubted authority facts that clear
up the mystery. When Houston
resigned the governorship he rode
straight from Tennessee,s capital
to the Arkansas river. He fell in
with band of Usage Indians near
the present site of Fort Gibson,
told them he desired to live with
the tribe and he was welcomed. He
donned a breechclOut and blanket,
shaved his head to the crown and
daubed his face with paint. He cut
himself off entirely from civilization
and lived with the Indians. For
time he was n leader and married
an Indian girl, but afterward he
became a drunkard. While under
the influence of whisky he told the
story of his flight from Tennessee to
John farley, an Indian companion.
farley told it to Wolff Star, and
from the latter the correspondent
got it.
A SECRET LOVE.
Houston's wife married him to
please her parents. She had been
previously engaged to young man
in Nashville, but, under parental
influence, broke off the engagement
and accepted Houston's offer OF
marriage, and, in view of his pros
poets, it was thought that she had
made a brilliant match. He loved
the woman and was made to believe
that she returned his affection
Houston had no knowledge of the
previous engagement, and his wife
managed to maintain outward
cheerfulness for some time. He re-
turned home one night about II
o'clock and his wife was in BED
weeping. The husband was solicit
GUS and the wife fretful. lie asked
what caused her tears, and she gave
no satisfactory answer.
CRUEL CONFESSION.
He continued importuning her
and at last she told him. She said
she was a bad, wicked woman; that
she did not love her husband but
loved another man; that she never
could love her husband or forget
the other man, and that her lif'
was miserable. She confessed thai
for some time before she had beer
engaged to marry Houston she hao
maintained illicit relations with thu
other man.
Houston never said a word, but
Immediately went to his office
wrote his resignation as governor
saddled his horse and rode into ths
wilderness. This is the mystery o
Sam Houston's life as revealed by
himself. Houston kept little store
among the Indians and always hat
e. barrel of whisky on tap. III
drank all the time. In this wa!
he lived a couple of years, till h
finally went to Texas, where nj
brilliant career MS a soldier in th'
Texas war, as president of the Texa
republic and senator from the stat
of Texas is we'll known.-Bostol